West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-05-26
THE TRUMAN BABY.
NJ RACHEL cAREw.


At home Jack Aiken had been a sensi.
ole fellow enough, with a very good rec
ord at Oxford, over which he was bccom.
'hgiy shy and silent; clever with an oar
OF gun, aud the best OF companions fol
ciup dinner ora tramp over the hills.
One short week in the Black Forest hnd
worked change which his former chums
would have witnessed with despair. III,
hao taken TO wearing violcts in his but
ton-holc, had grown indifferent about hi,
uinncr, sat on his balcony staring the
moon out OF Contcnancc. and carried a
Noiumc ol llcine IN his pocket, in com
Pahy with dictionary, which prosaic
VoiuInc, alas had TO bc frequently con-
suited. Even with its aid, Mr.. Aiken
iound the poems somewhat obscure, but
nc felt that they would be quite in har.
mony with ms state of mind if he could
manage to get at their meaning. lie worc
inches of spick span new umbrella
drawing certain profile ia the sand. and
had been severely reprimandcd by rcd.
FACED guard, with gold band around hi,
nat Tor abscnt-mindedly carving somC
lnterlaccd initials on the back of an artif.
clal rustic bench
The cause of all this folly was a pretty
girl IN white flannel dress, with a
Duhch OF crimson gcraniums under hcI
uainty white chin. Miss Margcry Dayrc
was sweet and winning enough TO make
Iool oil lar wiser man than Jack
AIKEN, with her dcmurc blue eyes, which
couiu twinkle SO saucily behind their
curing iashcs, her hllf-sad, half pouting
red lips, her delicate, babyish complexion.
anu an ar OF youth and naturalncss about
her which was quite ravishing.
JACK had seen his divinity but n few
tiihes, ana then, when in range Of Der
eyes, he had allowed bimsclf but a bri Z.
worshlpiul glance they were perfect
strangers to each other, and as vet Fate
h'u pointed out no way upon which they
SOuiu approach TO nearer acquaintance.
one was sitting alone on bench. reading
In Scinl-seclusion, near the promenade at
Mlldbad, when Jack saw her for the first
time. For several days following the
young man paid extravagant prices for n
hothouse rosebud, which he laid upon
the hallowcd seat, hoping that his charm
er might return, find the rose and posi-
bly condescend to wear it. He discon-
tinued this practice only on discovering
ms Offering fell under the clutches of n
ragged street urchin, who besieged him
with requests to buy it back with a
shameless advance of price. Afterward
ne had seen the young lady accompanied
Dy nursemad, carrying a baby. A very
gorgeous parsonage was this Venetian
nursemald, with an abundance of ROSY
cheek, and the biggest, blackest eyes i'm
aglnable; her shiny black hair was plated
IN disk like a round doormat. sur
rounded by .nimbus Of silver pins like
so many spoons stuck handles in. The
baoy was like the majority Of its kind =:
PINK checked, -unwinking, impassive
even when kissed aud caressed bv it's
lovely aunt or cousin, as Mr.. Aiken sun
posed the object of his alteration 10 be-
HOW he cnvied the unapprcciative little
beggar when itgot its chubby fists kissed
or was allowed to tangle them in the girl's
sunny hair!
Save for the fascination Of the beaux
yeux of Miss Dayrc, Jack Aiken had no
reason for proloDging his stay at Wild
pad ne had no rheumatism TO he charmed
away by the hot baths; ne couldn't busv
himself with crochet and Kcnsipgton
whllc the band played, as the ladies did
ana ne was not an artist mad after sketch
ing. On the contrary, ho had strong
lnduccmcnt to leave the place. thereby
esclping the scornful glauccg and audible
sniils OF an elderly, somewhat unprcpos-
scssln9 lady whom he had met before
under very distressing circumstance
some weeks previously Jack had been
IN heidelberg with an old school friend
They had planned q run up to the Konips-
stuhl, agreeing that tho ono TO arrive last
at the topof the tower was to stand treat
JACK Tar outstripWd his friend, who was
nowhere IN sight as tho former scrambled
up tho steps. When hc had repained his
breath aud admired tho view lack
hearing footsteps approaching in the
tower, thought lic would play IA trick ON
his chum, letting him suppose for the
hfst bali OF the ascent that hc was first TO
arrive Jack stole quietly down the spiral
star, dafk Hs pocket, extended his arms
at the critical moment, and inclos.d i'm a
bcar-likc hug not his friend. nlasl lp,t
q substantial rcmalc form cascd I'm sirk
proiuscly sown over with scratcbv irt
beads. She gave shrek which
made The solid tower trcmblc TO its
foundations seized Jack by the shoulder
and shook him till his teeth chadered
eAclaimng You cowardly villain. to
try TO rob delicate. defcnscless woman
M thc dark Shame on you. YOU disgrace
TO your scx.' She hustled him down
the steps and into the light Of dav. where
he found that his cuI button had become
caught in his assailants watch-chain
wrenchng the watch from lbs STRONGHOLD
beneath the bead embroidery. Jack
burst into q torrent of apology and
explanation, but the lady listened with n
look Of stony incrcdulity I'm her eve. A
group of attentive listeners gathered
round them consisting OF the photo
graph-woman, the bccr-boy. an umbrella
Ycnaef. goat and two dogs Jack felt
that public opinion was against him: his
conduct ccrtuinly looked suspicious
particularly as Norris his friend. seemed
20 have lost his way and failed to mt I'm
IN appearance To- verify Jacks story
Jack beat "a retreat as hastily as bo could
in deeency. hearing hurled after him ne
parting boucdiCtion ''lf my brother
Major Trott, was here you wouldn't get
on SO easily you smooth spoken mscalr'
The ono person in the world whom
Jack wished particularly TO avoid. Miss
Trott had turned up in Wildbad, beaded